Aside from being famed for its amazing dive spots, Sharm El Sheikh is a paradise for shoppers, with the traditional bazaars being the heart of the action. New shopping centres are springing up everywhere too, like the growing number in the Naama Bay area, but for a real taste of the markets you have to head to the old town and haggle in the bazaars.
Herbs and Spices
Herbs and spices are great here and make lovely fresh gifts for people at home – or a nice treat for yourself. Even without hagging you’ll probably find they are a lot cheaper than at home, but you don’t want to get off on the wrong foot so make sure you knock that price down! Don’t worry about offending them, our spies have told us that the starting price is usually about five times the going rate, and sometimes as high as ten times!
Fabrics
Leather and cotton products are produced in Egypt so you can pick up some lovely fabrics without the air miles. Plan ahead before you leave to make sure you know how your purchases will fit in if you want to decorate your house. A wide range of leather goods and fabrics of all colours can easily bewitch you if you are easily swayed off course! Try to buy from one place if you want several different things as your bargaining power will be higher.
Jewellery
This can be one of the hardest things to gauge quality of, especially if you’re in a bustling market with plenty of distractions! If you’re not sure stick to the basics and choose quirky things you haven’t seen back home. Decide on a price that you’re prepared to pay and be willing to walk away if your efforts come to nothing – there may even be something better just around the corner.
Rugs
One of the most popular things to buy in the Sharm bazaars, it’s probably worth seeking out one of the shops that marks up prices on all its goods to get a rough idea of how much you should be paying before you set out to haggle on these, particularly if you’re a haggling newby. Think about getting it home too, will it put you over your baggage allowance, could you get the hotel to help you post it rather than getting the seller to send it?
But if you’re a really canny shopper who just loves to hunt down the best bargains of all, consider going on a scuba and shopping day trip to Dahar! Rumours are the prices here are much cheaper!
To get there you could try haggling on flights, but it’s probably easier to compare prices on cheap holidays to
Sharm right here on dealchecker!
